Written Answers Tuesday 2 June 2009

Scottish Executive

Courts

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23595 by Kenny MacAskill on 6 May 2009, what determines the enforcement action of a warning letter for the non-payment of a fiscal fine.

Fergus Ewing: A warning letter for non-payment of a fiscal penalty is normally issued when payment first falls into arrears. Enforcement action will take account of the degree of contact that has taken place with the offender, the previous payment history of the offender and the most appropriate way to bring payments up to date.

Crime

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place to prevent organisations with links to organised crime from tendering for public contracts.

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take to prevent organisations with links to organised crime from gaining public contracts.

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale it envisages for the implementation of measures to prevent organisations with links to organised crime from gaining work from local authorities and other public bodies.

Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government has established the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce, which I chair, to tackle the threats posed by organised criminals. The taskforce, which includes members from all the relevant law enforcement agencies published its Serious Organised Crime Strategy – Letting our Communities Flourish on 2 June 2009. Copies will be available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 48213).

  As part of this strategy we are increasing funding to the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency by around £4 million over two years. This extra funding will help create a Scottish Intelligence Coordination Unit which, amongst other things, will provide advice to local authorities, health boards and other public sector agencies to make sure they have all the information they need in order to avoid awarding major contracts to organisations with links to organised crime.

Crime

Nigel Don (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the Serious Organised Crime Strategy.

Kenny MacAskill: The Serious Organised Crime Taskforce which we established to provide a strategic focus for tackling serious organised crime and to ensure co-ordinated and targeted action is publishing its Serious Organised Crime Strategy on 2 June 2009 at a seminar for key stakeholders. Copies will be available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 48213).

Defence

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what recent correspondence the First Minister has had with the governments of signatory countries of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Bruce Crawford: The First Minister has had no correspondence with the governments of signatory countries of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty subsequent to his letter of 15 October 2007 and the responses received to this, which were published on the Scottish Government website on 4 August 2008 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/FOI/Disclosures/2008/08/responses .

Dentistry

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to ensure that dental patients are fully informed of the maximum charges for NHS treatments.

Nicola Sturgeon: The leaflet HCS 2 A Quick Guide to Help with Health Costs provides information on charges and optical voucher values, including the maximum patient charge for a single course of NHS dental treatment. Dentists providing NHS general dental services should display copies of this leaflet. It is also available at www.scotland.gov.uk/healthcosts .

  We will issue guidance to dentists reminding them of the need to display copies of the HCS 2 leaflet and also reminding them of the need to advise patients of the maximum charge arrangements, where appropriate.

Dentistry

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider ensuring that dental practices display information publicly in surgeries detailing the maximum charges that a patient may pay for NHS treatments.

Nicola Sturgeon: The leaflet HCS 2  A Quick Guide to Help with Health Costs provides information on charges and optical voucher values, including the maximum patient charge for a single course of NHS dental treatment. Dentists providing NHS general dental services should display copies of this leaflet. It is also available at www.scotland.gov.uk/healthcosts .

  We will issue guidance to dentists reminding them of the need to display copies of the HCS 2 leaflet.

Dentistry

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what monitoring is undertaken to ensure that dentists minimise the charges that patients pay for NHS treatments.

Nicola Sturgeon: The individual items of treatment which dentists can undertake under NHS general dental service arrangements and the associated patient charges are set down in the Statement of Dental Remuneration and are set by the Scottish Government.

  The decision on individual patient treatment needs will be made by the dentist following a clinical assessment. Under their NHS terms of service, dentists should not provide care and treatment in excess of that which is necessary to secure and maintain oral health.

Dentistry

Michael Matheson (Falkirk West) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a public information campaign on charges associated with NHS dental treatments.

Nicola Sturgeon: We have no current plans to introduce such a publicity campaign.

  The leaflet HCS 2 A Quick Guide to Help with Health Costs provides information on charges and optical voucher values, including examples of NHS dental charges. Dentists providing NHS general dental services should display copies of this leaflet. It is also available at:

  www.scotland.gov.uk/healthcosts.

Drug Misuse

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the conviction rate has been of people accused of (a) drug dealing, (b) possession of drugs, (c) drug trafficking, (d) employing others to deal in drugs and (e) living off immoral earnings in the Lothians region in each of the last five years.

Fergus Ewing: The available information is given in the following table. Employing persons to deal in drugs is not identifiable separately from the data held on the Scottish Government Court Proceedings database.

  Persons with a Charge Proved for Selected Offences1 in the Lothians Region2 as a Percentage of Total Persons Proceeded Against, 2003-04 to 2007-08

  (Total Number of Persons Proceeded Against Provided in Brackets)

  

 Offence
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07
 2007-08


 Supply, possession with intent to supply etc of drugs
 79%
 85%
 87%
 81%
 81%


 
 (163)
 (280)
 (239)
 (219)
 (250)


 Possession of drugs
 93%
 92%
 94%
 94%
 92%


 
 (401)
 (557)
 (610)
 (759)
 (721)


 Drug trafficking3
 78%
 86%
 87%
 83%
 82%


 
 (177)
 (304)
 (273)
 (258)
 (295)


 Living of immoral earnings4
 100%
 -
 100%
 -
 100%


 
 (1)
 (0)
 (1)
 (0)
 (1)



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Taken to include the local authority areas East Lothian, City of Edinburgh, Midlothian and West Lothian. Incorporates an approximate mapping of sheriff courts into local authority areas. Some sheriff courts will deal with cases from more than one local authority area. Midlothian does not contain a sheriff court.

  3. Includes the crime categories "illegal importation of drugs", "manufacture or cultivation of drugs", "supply, possession with intent to supply etc of drugs" and "other drugs offences".

  4. Includes the crime categories "brothel keeping" and "immoral traffic".

Economy

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it links spending decisions to its purpose and targets.

John Swinney: The government’s purpose of delivering sustainable economic growth and the targets described in the Government Economic Strategy are the key drivers of Scottish Government policy and spending decisions. This was clearly articulated in the Spending Review 2007 document and has been reaffirmed in subsequent budget documents. Further progress to demonstrate the linkages between expenditure and the government’s National Performance Framework will be reported to the Finance Committee during the next budget round.

Economy

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how Scotland Performs links to spending decisions.

John Swinney: The Scotland Performs website shows the progress being made by government towards the National Outcomes and targets set out in the National Performance Framework. The Framework was fully integrated into the Spending Review 2007 and was articulated in the Spending Review 2007 document. It provides clarity for outcomes-focused government, aligning all government action and spending decisions behind a single unifying purpose. Essentially, it ensures that our spending decisions, and those of our partners, support the achievement of our shared ambitions. Scotland Performs is still developing and the picture it offers will build and become more sophisticated over time, enabling people to see and judge for themselves the progress we are making.

Economy

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements are being made to Scotland Performs to deal with data lag.

John Swinney: The Scotland Performs website brings together many different results from dozens of sources, all of which have differing requirements in terms of processing, quality assurance and publication. The data on Scotland Performs is at any time the most up-to-date there is available. Though some gaps and time lags have been unavoidable due to the move to focus on outcomes and the need to identify new performance measures to best support that, the position is improving all the time. In the past six months alone, 24 updates have been made to the website, some of them making data available for the very first time.

  The data on Scotland Performs is produced under Official Statistics Standards, which are set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. This requires that data is published as soon as is practicably possible, whilst assuring the high standards of quality of Official Statistics. Statisticians within government are always striving to minimise data lag and, where these cannot be reduced further, to consider provisional or proxy sources to help give earlier information.

Education

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between any minister and any officer or executive of the Scottish International Education Trust.

Fiona Hyslop: No meetings have taken place.

Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which agencies are tasked with inspecting local authorities and their community planning partnerships.

John Swinney: The Accounts Commission audits local authorities as part of the performance audit of how local authorities discharge their best value and community planning duties

  However the independent Crerar Review of regulation, audit, inspection and complaints handling of public services in Scotland identified over 50 bodies which could reasonably be considered as having a role in the scrutiny of all public services, which would include local authorities and their community planning partners.

  The Scottish Government update to Parliament on 23 June 2008 included a list of those bodies which we considered to have either a significant impact on public services via scrutiny or where scrutiny was clearly their primary function. This list does not include other public bodies, e.g. Scottish National Heritage or the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, whose activities will also have a tangential impact on local authority activities:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/06/23153230.

  Prior to this though, in March 2008, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth had already asked the Accounts Commission to work with the relevant bodies that scrutinise local authorities and local authority services to find ways of introducing a more proportionate approach through better planning and scheduling of service inspections.

  Through this work the Accounts Commission has already co-ordinated a scheduled 25% reduction for all current scrutiny body contact with councils in 2009, when compared to 2007 levels. Further details are available on the Accounts Commission website at:

  http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/scrutiny/.

  However, to ensure this continuous improvement, the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Bill introduced into Parliament on 29 May 2009 includes, for the first time, a duty on listed bodies scrutinising services provided by or on behalf of local government to co-operate, in order to ensure more proportionate and co-ordinated scrutiny.

Finance

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of staffing is for each of the agencies tasked with inspecting local authorities and their community planning partnerships.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual bill has been for each of the agencies tasked with inspecting local authorities and their community planning partnerships in each of the last 10 years.

John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-24123 on 2 June 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  All the bodies referred to in the answer to S3W-24123 already publish annual reports, setting out their budgets, which are lodged with the Parliament.

  (A report by Audit Scotland for the independent Crerar Review published, in September 2007, an analysis of the overall cost of external scrutiny of public services in Scotland. A copy can be found on the Scottish Government website http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/923/0053070.pdf.)

Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the allocation of Barnett consequentials arising from the UK Budget of £79 million in 2009-10 and £25 million in 2010-11.

John Swinney: Details of the allocation of the Barnett consequentials will be announced shortly, following discussions between Scottish ministers.

Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what end-year flexibility (EYF) balances were accrued by March 2009 and what it anticipates its EYF balances will be by March 2010.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government’s end-year flexibility (EYF) balance was last published in HM Treasury’s Public Expenditure Outturn White Paper (PEOWP) issued in July 2008. This recorded a balance of £952 million. £313 million has been drawn down in 2008-09 and there is an agreement with HM Treasury to access a further £400 million in 2009-10 and £174 million in 2010-11. Any EYF generated in 2008-09 will be announced as part of my provisional outturn statement in late June and the total EYF balance will be next published by HM Treasury in July 2009.

Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will honour multi-year pay deals for government and public sector employees for whom it has responsibility.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government will honour any existing multi-year pay deals for government and public sector staff for whom it has responsibility.

Finance

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it is ensuring that consideration of equalities and carbon budgeting inform policy and budgetary allocations.

John Swinney: We are working together with the Equality and Budget Advisory Group on how the budget processes can take equality issues into account. We are continuing to raise awareness about the need to mainstream equality both into policies and budgets, seeking to improve the information on equality issues in the government’s budget, and looking into possible ways of reporting on progress of equality proofing the budget. To support successful delivery on our purpose and outcomes and to meet our public sector equality duties, we expect policies and activities to be subject to the equality impact assessment process.

  During the debate on the economy on 30 April 2009, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth confirmed that a carbon assessment of expenditure would be published with the 2010-11 budget proposals, making it available for parliamentary scrutiny at the same time. This intention was reflected in motion S3M-4004 passed at the end of that debate, and work is currently on-going to deliver that assessment. Some policy areas such as transport already include carbon as part of their appraisal of proposals, and we are continuing to develop an assessment method which can be applied more widely across government at the level of plans, policies and projects.

Health

Gavin Brown (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) under the age of 18 and (b) 18 and over were diagnosed with (i) depression and (ii) anxiety in each of the three years to March 2009.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on number of people diagnosed with depression and anxiety is not held centrally.

  Estimates of the number of people aged less than 18 years and 18 years and over who have consulted a member of the practice team (either GP or practice-employed nurse) for depression or anxiety in Scotland for 2005-06 to 2007-08 are shown in Table 1 and 2:

  Table 1. Estimated Number of Patients who Consulted a GP or Practice-Employed Nurse for Anxiety in Scotland

  

Financial Year
 0-17 Years
 18+ Years


 Number
95% Confidence Interval*
 Number
 95% Confidence Interval*


 2005-06
 8,315
 (6,497 - 10,134)
 261,413
 (223,959 - 298,866)


 2006-07
 7,539
 (6,067 - 9,011)
 244,356
 (207,538 - 281,173)


 2007-08
 8,004
 (6,246 - 9,762)
 243,537
 (207,413 - 279,660)



  Source: Patient Team Information, ISD.

  Table 2. Estimated Number of Patients who Consulted a GP or Practice-Employed Nurse for Depression in Scotland

  

Financial Year
 0-17 Years
 18+ Years


 Number
 95% Confidence Interval*
 Number
 95% Confidence Interval*


 2005-06
 3,653
 (2,474 - 4,832)
 251,680
 (229,072 - 274,287)


 2006-07
 2,151
 (1,450 - 2,853)
 203,247
 (180,877 - 225,617)


 2007-08
 1,563
 (875 - 2,250)
 166,628
 (141,824 - 191,432)



  Source: Patient Team Information, ISD.

  Note: *Estimates of the number of patients are subject to sampling error as they are based on a survey of approximately 5% of GP Practices. We can be 95% confident that the true estimate for Scotland would fall in this range.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a national action plan for rare diseases in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon: In Scotland rare diseases are already managed on a pan-Scotland basis, largely through genetic services - which are subject to on-going enhancement following on from the Calman review (2006) with £5 million per annum recurring investment over three years - and through access to treatments via services commissioned by National Services Division.

Health

Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider including gluten-free breakfast cereals on the list of foods available on prescription to patients with coeliac disease.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Advisory Council for Borderline Substances (ACBS) is a UK-wide body that complies the Borderline Substances List which sets out the gluten-free items available on prescription throughout the UK. Gluten-free breakfast cereals are not currently included in the list and are therefore not available on NHS prescription.

Health

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children and young people who were in hospital on 21 May 2009 had been there for over three months.

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children and young people who were in hospital on 21 May 2009 and had been there for over three months could have been cared for at home.

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for the prolonged inpatient stays for children and young who were in hospital on 21 May 2009 and had been there for over three months.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on patients who were in hospital on 21 May 2009 is not yet available.

Health

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action would enable the discharging, at the earliest opportunity, of children and young people who were in hospital on 21 May 2009 and had been there for over three months.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is committed to providing the best possible care for children and young people in Scotland. The best setting for the provision of care is dependent on the needs of the individual through consultation with the health professionals and their multi-agency partners responsible for the provision of their care. Local authorities, NHS boards and other agencies should co-ordinate their efforts to ensure a safe and timely discharge from hospital once treatment has been completed

  The National Managed Clinical Network - Exceptional Healthcare Needs, developed as part of the National Delivery Plan for specialist services for children in Scotland, will assist in facilitating earlier discharge for children with complex needs, as appropriate.

Health

Ross Finnie (West of Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children under 16-years-old were diagnosed with (a) gonorrhoea, (b) chlamydia, (c) syphilis, (d) herpes and (e) genital warts in each of the last five years.

Nicola Sturgeon: The answer is shown in the following table:

  Laboratory Reports of Selected Sexually Transmitted Infections Among Persons Aged Under 16 Years, Scotland 2004-08*

  

 Diagnosis
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008


 Genital herpes
 19
 16
 19
 21
 16


 Chlamydia
 249
 255
 284
 313
 318


 Gonorrhoea
 5
 2
 3
 12
 7


 Syphilis
 0
 0
 0
 0
 0


 Genital warts**
 54
 45
 55
 62
 N/A



  Source: Health Protection Scotland (HPS).

  Notes:

  *For these five sexually transmitted infections, diagnoses in those aged under 10 years are excluded.

  **Data provided by Information Services Division (ISD). Data are based on the clinical diagnosis of genital warts in patients attending Genitourinary Medicine (GUM) services across Scotland. These results are not based on laboratory reports.

Health

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each NHS board spends in sending patients to the Spire Murrayfield Hospital and the Goldren Jubilee National Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: Information on the amount of expenditure spent by NHS boards on the use of the independent healthcare sector is not held centrally.

  The Scottish Government has made clear that its policy is to invest in the NHS in Scotland and to build sustainable services for the benefit of all NHS patients. However, NHS boards can use the independent sector to help meet short-term pressures and to provide capacity from time-to-time where that is necessary to treat patients quickly. This will always be at the margins.

  Information on the expenditure spent by NHS boards at Golden Jubilee National Hospital by NHS board for 2008-09 is provided in the following Table:

  

 NHS Board
2008-09 (£000)


 Ayrshire and Arran
 619


 Borders
 72


 Dumfries and Galloway
 1,594


 Fife
 0


 Forth Valley
 1,320


 Grampian
 569


 Greater Glasgow and Clyde
 2,576


 Highland
 0


 Lanarkshire
 3,704


 Lothian
 1,454


 Orkney 
 214


 Shetland
 0


 Tayside
 0


 Western Isles
 50


 Total
 12,172



  Source: National Waiting Times Centre Board.

Health

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what private healthcare providers are used by each NHS board.

Nicola Sturgeon: This information is not available centrally.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent running the Safer Scotland knife amnesty, which ran from 24 May to 30 June 2006, broken down by expense.

Kenny MacAskill: The last national knife amnesty held between 24 May and 30 June 2006 was coordinated by the police as part of their operational duties so it is therefore not possible to quantify how much was spent on its delivery.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many fine defaulters prosecuted for handling an offensive weapon subsequently served prison sentences in 2007-08 and what proportion that figure constitutes of the total number of (a) people served with fines and (b) fine defaulters.

Kenny MacAskill: In 2007-08 the Scottish Prison Service recorded 82 receptions of a prisoner for fine default where the main crime or offence was the handling of offensive weapons, from a total of 3,160 fine defaulter receptions overall. In the same year there were 927 people found guilty of handling an offensive weapon who received a fine.

  Although these figures both cover the 2007-08 financial year, they do not refer to the same individuals, and therefore it is not possible to calculate the proportion of people who receive a fine for handling an offensive weapon who, as a result of not paying that fine, went on to spend time in prison.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people prosecuted for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08 had a criminal record at the time of prosecution, broken down by most recent offence.

Kenny MacAskill: There were 4,041 persons proceeded against in Scottish courts for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08. This relates to 3,874 individuals, as some people have been proceeded against on more than one occasion.

  Information about whether or nor individuals had a criminal record at the time of prosecution is not held centrally. However, the following table shows the number of these individuals who had a previous charge proved in court at least once in the previous 10 years. The previous charge has been identified as having a date of sentence which is earlier than the date of sentence for the latest charge of handling an offensive weapon.

  The source of this information is the Scottish Government Court Proceedings database, which is derived from data held on the Criminal History System. Prosecution in court is only one of a range of possible options for dealing with an individual who has been charged with an offence. Other actions include the use of fiscal warnings, diversion to social work, fixed penalty notices and fiscal fines. However, these alternatives to court prosecution are not currently held on the Scottish Government Court Proceedings database and are not included in the following data provided.

  Number of Individuals Proceeded Against for Handling an Offensive Weapon1,2 in 2007-08 who had a Previous Charge3 Proved in Court, by Main Crime4 for that Offence

  

 Main Crime
 
 
 Number of Individuals


 All crimes
 Non-sexual crimes of violence
 Homicide
 4


 Serious assault and attempted murder
 58


 Robbery
 33


 Other
 12


 Crimes of indecency
 Indecent assault
 3


 Lewd and indecent behaviour
 2


 Other
 6


 Crimes of dishonesty
 Housebreaking
 64


 Theft by opening a lockfast place
 31


 Theft of/from a motor vehicle
 33


 Shoplifting
 190


 Other theft
 87


 Fraud
 16


 Other
 31


 Fire-raising, vandalism, etc
 Fire-raising
 6


 Vandalism etc
 151


 Other crimes
 Crimes against public justice
 247


 Handling an offensive weapon
 202


 Drugs
 281


 Other
 7


 All offences
 Miscellaneous offences
 Common assault
 348


 Breach of the peace
 431


 Drunkenness
 4


 Other
 162


 Motor vehicle offences
 Dangerous and careless driving
 44


 Drunk driving
 91


 Speeding
 31


 Unlawful use of vehicle
 227


 Vehicle defect offences
 20


 Other
 31


 Total
 
 
 2853



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence

  2. Handling an offensive weapon covers the crime categories possession of an offensive weapon, restriction of an offensive weapon and having in a public place an article with a blade or point.

  3. Previous charge derived from sentence date of latest and prior offence.

  4. The crime categories used are the same as in the Criminal Proceedings in Scottish Courts Statistical Bulletin.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people prosecuted for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08 had previously been prosecuted for such an offence, broken down by main penalty issued.

Kenny MacAskill: There were 4,041 persons proceeded against in Scottish courts for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08. This relates to 3,874 individuals, as some people have been proceeded against on more than one occasion.

  The following table shows the number of these individuals who had previously been proceeded against for the same offence at least once in the previous 10 years (based on the date of sentence for both the latest and previous offence).

  Number of Individuals Proceeded Against for Handling an Offensive Weapon1,2 in 2007-08 who had Previously been Proceeded Against3 for such an Offence, by Main Penalty for the Prior Offence

  

 Main Penalty Issued
 Number of Individuals


 Custody
 314


 Community sentence
 251


 Monetary
 193


 Charge proved - Other4
 73


 Not guilty
 125


 Total
 956



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Handling an offensive weapon covers the crime categories possession of an offensive weapon, restriction of an offensive weapon and having in a public place an article with a blade or point.

  3. Previous prosecution derived from sentence date of latest and prior offence.

  4. Including caution, admonition, absolute discharge and remit to children’s hearing.

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people prosecuted for handling an offensive weapon in 2007-08 were on bail at the time of their offence, broken down by police force area.

Kenny MacAskill: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons Proceeded Against for Handling Offensive Weapons1,2 with a Bail Aggravator Recorded3, by Police Force Area, 2007-08

  

 Police Force
 2007-08


 Central 
 39


 Dumfries and Galloway
 11


 Fife 
 25


 Grampian 
 39


 Lothian and Borders 
 73


 Northern 
 22


 Strathclyde 
 557


 Tayside 
 51


 Scotland
 817



  Notes:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Includes the offences possession of an offensive weapon, restriction of offensive weapons and having in a public place an article with a blade or point.

  3. Indicating that the offence was committed while the offender was on bail.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many court fines were imposed in each of the last five years, broken down by sheriffdom.

Fergus Ewing: The number of court fine accounts registered in the sheriff court in the last five years are as follows:

  

 Sheriffdom
 2004
 2005
 2006
 2007
 2008


 Grampian Highland and Islands
 9,560
 9,104
 8,538
 7,858
 7,229


 Lothian and Borders
 8,497
 8,371
 8,841
 8,010
 6,771


 Glasgow and Strathkelvin
 4,473
 5,097
 5,223
 5,112
 3,834


 Tayside Central and Fife
 13,253
 10,941
 11,207
 9,904
 8,384


 South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway
 10,381
 9,748
 9,608
 8,924
 7,696


 North Strathclyde
 7,357
 7,171
 7,009
 6,674
 5,723


 Totals
 53,521
 50,432
 50,426
 46,482
 39,637

Justice

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much the search for prisoner Brian Martin, who recently absconded from Castle Huntly open prison cost, broken down by nature of cost.

Kenny MacAskill: Searching for absconded prisoners is an operational matter for chief constables. Information on the costs of searching for prisoner Brian Martin is not held centrally.

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is given to NHS employees who report concerns regarding patient care and health and safety issues.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Staff Governance Standard commits NHSScotland employers to ensuring that all staff are treated fairly and consistently and that the minimum standards as described in the Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy guidelines are met or exceeded.

  As stated in the Dealing with Employee Concerns PIN all employees have a fundamental right to raise issues of concern with their manager, to be accompanied by a trade union/professional organisation representative or colleague if they so wish, and to appeal to a higher level if they feel the issue has not been resolved satisfactorily.

  The PIN policy is clear that harassment and victimisation of any member of staff who raises a concern will not be tolerated and will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence which will be dealt with under the management of conduct arrangements.

  If it becomes apparent that there are problems with an NHS board in relation to the implementation of the PIN policies it would be expected that the trade unions and professional organisations would raise the matter through their local partnership processes.

NHS Staff

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how NHS employees can raise legitimate concerns without facing recrimination from their employers.

Nicola Sturgeon: The Staff Governance Standard commits NHSScotland employers to ensuring that all staff are treated fairly and consistently and that the minimum standards as described in the Partnership Information Network (PIN) policy guidelines are met or exceeded.

  As stated in the Dealing with Employee Concerns PIN all employees have a fundamental right to raise issues of concern with their manager, to be accompanied by a trade union/professional organisation representative or colleague if they so wish, and to appeal to a higher level if they feel the issue has not been resolved satisfactorily.

  The PIN policy is clear that harassment and victimisation of any member of staff who raises a concern will not be tolerated and will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence which will be dealt with under the management of conduct arrangements.

  If it becomes apparent that there are problems with an NHS board in relation to the implementation of the PIN policies it would be expected that the trade unions and professional organisations would raise the matter through their local partnership processes.

NHS Staff

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors who work at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary also work at Spire Murrayfield Hospital.

Angela Constance (Livingston) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors who work in trauma and orthopaedics work both at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Spire Murrayfield Hospital.

Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not centrally held. This is a matter for individual NHS boards as the employer. The Scottish Consultant Contract allows consultants to undertake private practice providing that individual consultants inform their employer in writing and that the work is undertaken outside the time agreed in the consultant’s job plan for NHS work.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the differences in accountability and responsibility are between agencies such as Transport Scotland and the Scottish Prison Service and the directorates of the Scottish Government in areas like finance, staffing and operational matters.

John Swinney: Government agencies and directorates form constituent parts of the Scottish administration. They are financed from the Scottish block and are bound by the same requirements of propriety and regularity, and the general financial and accounting principles and guidance applicable to the whole Scottish Government. Agency chief executives and directors general are designated Accountable Officers as defined by the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000. Agency chief executives are appointed by ministers, and agencies and directorates are both staffed by civil servants. The key distinction of an agency is its operational independence, as agencies are established by the Scottish ministers to execute specific, often specialist, functions.

Prison Service

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to hold an independent review of the suitability of prisoners held in the open estate and, if so, (a) when it expects this review to (i) begin and (ii) report to Parliament, (b) what its scope will be and (c) which stakeholders will be involved.

Kenny MacAskill: I announced in my statement to Parliament on 27 May 2009 that an independent review of the case of Brian Martin will be carried out by Professor Alec Spencer. He has been asked to conduct an independent review of the decision to send this prisoner to open conditions, and in light of that to consider whether the new criteria for transfer to the Open Estate which I put in place are being properly applied in all cases.

Procurement

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale it recommends for public bodies to complete the tendering process for the procurement of goods and services.

John Swinney: The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 contain minimum timescales for procurement processes for certain high value contracts. For all other procurement processes, the timescales will vary according to the value, scale and complexity of the requirement. It is for individual public bodies to decide what is appropriate on a case-by-case basis, bearing in mind the need to allow bidders a reasonable time to submit tenders. Guidance on tendering processes is available from the Scottish Procurement Directorate website:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk./Topics/Government/Procurement/Resources.

Public Information Notices

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Glasgow has been selected as an appropriate area to pilot new arrangements for public notices.

John Swinney: Glasgow was part of the Public Information Notices project working group and board from an early stage. They were involved in the development of the Public Information Portal, and their involvement has influenced the functionality, and how it fits with business operations. Glasgow agreed with the Improvement Service to be the first pilot council. This will ensure that the systems integration requirement requested by the pilot councils, can be fully tested and documented before roll out to the other pilot councils.

Public Information Notices

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the duration will be of the pilot scheme for testing new arrangements for public notices.

John Swinney: The Improvement Service on behalf of local government are currently progressing the pilot testing for new arrangements for Public Information Notices. The aim is to conclude the pilot by September 2009.

Public Information Notices

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the pilot scheme for testing new arrangements for public notices will be assessed.

John Swinney: The Improvement Service are managing the Public Information Notices Project on behalf of local government. They will be formally reviewing the pilot testing with the councils involved. This will be to ensure that the functionality of the administration system is as specified, and fit for purpose. Pilot councils are also committed to controlled public testing and this is likely to be via citizens panels or similar groups.

Public Private Partnerships

Andy Kerr (East Kilbride) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the additional £1 billion capital per annum for local government is already allocated to unitary charge payments on PPP projects.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government provides local authorities with support for meeting the unitary charge payments for PPP projects through the revenue element of the Local Government Finance Settlement. In addition, the Scottish Government is supporting new capital investment by local authorities to the value of £1 billion in 2009-10.

Rail Network

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the railway line speed is reduced between Alloa and Kincardine.

Stewart Stevenson: The railway line speed is limited between Alloa and Kincardine due to the alignment of the railway, which was constructed within the limits of the existing dismantled railway to reduce land take, and mine workings.

  At Alloa, Clackmannan and Kincardine the line speed is restricted by curvature to 40 mph.

  At Kilbachie the line speed was reduced to 30 mph as part of the mitigation due to mining impacts.

  As the section of line between Alloa and Kincardine is only used by freight it is not practicable to give short sections of higher speed between these locations hence a constant 30 mph line speed has been adopted.

Rail Network

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the final cost was for the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine project and how much beyond this cost it has allocated to deal with contingencies or emerging liabilities.

Stewart Stevenson: The final cost for the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine project will not be known until the final account has been agreed. The current estimate for the cost to the Scottish Government, for the construction of the Stirling-Alloa-Kincardine railway project, is in line with previous estimates of circa £85 million.

Rail Network

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23785 by Stewart Stevenson on 20 May 2009, when Transport Scotland decided to request that DB Schenker give up operating freight trains across the Forth Bridge.

Stewart Stevenson: It was always the intention that freight trains would run on this line as the business case presented to Parliament provided for both a passenger line to Alloa and freight line to Kincardine.

  The line provides a direct route for freight trains supplying Longannet power station from Ayrshire with coal and removing the need to travel between Glasgow and Edinburgh and the Forth Rail Bridge hence the project envisaged that freight would transfer upon completion.

Rail Network

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-23788 by Stewart Stevenson on 20 May 2009, what effect the completion of the UP passenger loop at Stirling railway station could or will have on the timings of the Alloa to Glasgow and Edinburgh passenger link and on freight train operations by DB Schenker Freight Trains.

Stewart Stevenson: The creation of a double junction and new UP passenger loop at Stirling railway station will facilitate journey time savings of up to five minutes for a number of Alloa to Glasgow trains. The new facilities will increase the flexibility of the route, assisting in the punctual working of passenger and freight trains offering small, but widespread benefits, across a wide area of central Scotland.

Renewable Energy

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions since May 2007 can be attributed to wind farms.

Jim Mather: Information is not available in the format requested. We estimate however that in the calendar year 2007, the electricity generated by wind and wave power in Scotland had the potential to displace around 1.1 million tonnes of CO 2 when compared with an equivalent amount of fossil fuel generated electricity.

  This estimate is based on the electricity generated by wind and wave in Scotland in 2007, to which we have applied the Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) recommended calculation for carbon dioxide savings – 0.43kg of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour of electricity produced.

  As there is considerably more wind capacity operating than wave, it can be assumed that the vast majority of these emissions savings are from wind farms.

  The Defra guidelines which explain the reasoning for the calculation used can be found on the following website http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/business/reporting/conversion-factors.htm.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18018 by John Swinney on 5 December 2008, how many of the 20 staff referred to in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on 20 April 2009 who left or moved on promotion worked in the First Minister’s private office.

John Swinney: Of the 22 members of staff referred to in my letter of 20 April 2009, six members of staff were in the First Minister’s private office, who either transferred or moved on promotion.

Scottish Government Staff

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many voluntary redundancies there have been in each of its directorates and agencies since May 2007.

John Swinney: There have been limited opportunities since May 2007 for Scottish Government employees to leave on a voluntary basis under the Approved Early Retirement and Flexible Early Retirement/Severance provisions offered under the Civil Service Compensation Scheme arrangements.

  The following table provides, by directorate/agency, details of the number of employees who have left on early retirement or severance terms since May 2007.

  

 
1 May 2007 to 
31 March 2009


 Scottish Government Core
 


 DG Economy
 9


 DG Education
 14


 DG Environment
 33


 DG Finance and Corporate Services
 20


 DG Health
 11


 DG Justice and Communities
 25


 Other
 19


 Associated Departments
 


 General Register Office for Scotland 
 6


 National Archives Scotland
 6


 Agencies
 


 Communities Scotland
 9


 Scottish Housing Regulator
 1


 Transport Scotland
 5


 Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority
 2*


 Crown Office
 23


 Fisheries Research Services
 3


 Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency
 9


 Scottish Prison Service
 3


 Historic Scotland
 0


 Registers of Scotland
 0


 Scottish Court Service
 0


 Total
 198



  Note: *Staff on assignment from the Scottish Government core.

Scottish Investment Bank

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Investment Bank is being established as a regulated bank.

John Swinney: It is intended that the Scottish Investment Bank will be a mechanism through which Scottish based businesses can access a range of financial products in order to grow, create employment and maximise their contribution to the economy.

Scottish Investment Bank

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Investment Bank has been registered with the Financial Services Authority.

John Swinney: As initially constituted the Scottish Investment Bank would not need to be regulated by the Financial Services Authority. We will, however, keep this under review as the work to develop it progresses.

Scottish Investment Bank

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Investment Bank will operate within the Banking Code.

John Swinney: The Scottish Investment Bank will not operate within the Banking Code.

Transport Scotland

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list what experience each member of senior management of Transport Scotland has of transport in the private sector in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

Stewart Stevenson: All Transport Scotland senior management regularly have experience working with private sector transport operators on issues relevant to their responsibilities. In addition, the Director of Rail Delivery and the Director of Major Transport Infrastructure Projects have had previous working experience of transport in the private sector.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Information Technology

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S3W-23335 by Alex Johnstone on 8 May 2009, what criteria are used to assess whether access to user logs is required and who makes this assessment.

Alex Johnstone: The criteria used to grant access to user logs are defined in the SPCB Policy on The Use of Internet, Email and Other Business Communications –

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/cnPages/foi/SPhbook/spcb-hbook-13.htm#27.

  Access to the relevant information contained in the logs can be requested by line managers or members.

Information Technology

Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S3W-23335 by Alex Johnstone on 8 May 2009, how many times access to user logs has been granted and for what reason in each case.

Alex Johnstone: Access has been granted to user logs on two occasions since the contract with our current service provider commenced on 3 January 2008. Access to user logs was granted in line with the criteria defined in the SPCB Policy on The Use of Internet, Email and Other Business Communications  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/cnPages/foi/SPhbook/spcb-hbook-13.htm#27 .